Concerned public saves rescue horses

Four of the five horses rescued from Enfield in February are doing well at Redwings, thanks to a member of the public who alerted the charity.

The horses – Rodney, Otto, Bonnie, Annie and Misty – were in a small enclosed yard with inadequate grazing and facilities. Concerned at their condition and the way they were being kept, a member of the public contacted Redwings and field officer Jo Franklin went to assess the condition. On seeing the horses, Jo immediately contacted the RSPCA for help.

The next day Jo returned with RSPCA Inspector Virginia Ross, a vet and the Police. The vet confirmed that the horses were either in a state of suffering or were likely to suffer. Two Redwings lorries and rescue team members removed the five horses on the same day and brought them back to the charity’s Norfolk headquarters for veterinary care and assessment.

Twenty-four-year-old gelding Rodney, 24, was exhausted when he came in as he was too stiff in his back legs to lie down to sleep. His teeth were also poor. Otto, a 13-year-old bay part-bredThoroughbred stallion, was lame in his hind legs; seventeen-year-old Thoroughbred mare Bonnie had very overgrown feet; Misty, a 13-year-old grey part-bred Thoroughbred mare was in generally poor condition. Sadly, a 13-year-old Annie, a chestnut Thoroughbred mare, was underweight with severe Wobblers Syndrome and after a few months’ of care she had to be put to down.

An appeal was made for the owner by the Police. A man came forward and was fully compliant with the authorities, admitting that he had recently been struggling to care for the horses, which had belonged to his severely disabled wife for many years. He agreed he should have sought help sooner and signed all five horses over to the RSPCA, who in turn signed them over to Redwings. Taking all the circumstances into account, the RSPCA decided not to prosecute; however the owner’s husband was given an adult caution.

"This is a sad situation as the owner and her husband clearly could no longer manage and had let the situation slide, but there was no evidence to suggest there was any intent to cause neglect," said Redwings senior welfare officer Rachel Fairhead. "We are very sad that we were unable to help Annie but the others have made a great recovery and we’re very appreciative of the actions of the person who contacted us as soon as they were aware of the horses’ plight."

For more information visit www.redwings.co.uk or contact 01508 481008.